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Colin Sullivan
Sergeant Colin Sullivan was an undercover gangster within the Massachusetts State Police, who acting as the personal mole for the secondary main antagonist, ruthless mob boss Frank Costello. Colin serves as the secondary antagonist in Martin Scorsese's crime drama The Departed. He is the counterpart to the film's protagonist, undercover cop Billy Costigan. He was portrayed by Matt Damon. Biography Early life Colin was born in 1971, and was Irish descendant, who is born in Boston. The father of Colin, Johnny Sullivan was an irishman, who worked as janitor. Sullivan was forced to live with his grandmother since he was a kid, which suggests he had a difficult family situation. Meeting Frank Costello When Sullivan was 14, in a bar in South Boston, he met the boss mobster Frank Costello, who was also a friend of his father. He soon took Sullivan under his wing, making the paternal figure that Sullivan have lost until then. Costello told Sullivan that, if he wanted to earn some moneys, he could work for him. Sullivan worked as a car mechanic for Costello, along with some guys. Sullivan will follow the speeches and ideas sent to him by Costello, encouraging him later to join the police academy, working for him as an informant. Career in the State Police Sullivan graduates from the Massachusetts State Police Academy where he also knows his colleague and best friend Barrigan and proceeds to become soon a state police detective. In May 2006, Sullivan went to the SIU headquarters, and went to the office of Captain Oliver Queenan, who was accompanied by Staff Sergeant Sean Dignam. After the interview Sullivan is entrusted to work under Captain George Ellerby, as sergeant. At that time the SIU is taking charge of the case of Frank Costello and his men, to arrest them. Unbeknownst to Sullivan, however, Queenan and Dignam give the trainee, Billy Costigan, the task to infiltrate Costello's mob, so Costigan ends up in prison and begins cover. Relationship with Madolyn Madden He then starts studying law at Suffolk University Law School in the night. One day during work he meets state psychiatrist Madolyn Madden, with whom he establishes a relationship that will go on in time. Madolyn is also the psychiatrist who takes care of seeing Billy Costigan, who is on probation. Finding the mole After Costello escapes a sting he realizes that there might be police mole. Sullivan becomes determined to find to find out the identity of the rat. One night in a porn theater, Costello gives Sullivan the Social Security numbers of his gang members so he could find the informant. Later, Costigan and Sullivan see each other and Costigan chases Sullivan. Sullivan hides from but then stabs someone because he thought it was him, only to realize he stabbed a Chinese Restaurant worker. Later Sullivan returns to the SIU at night to see Billy Costigan's face, which was filmed by a camera as he pursued him. However he failed to see the face. Tailing Queenan Two days later"Like I said, two days ago my guy damn near found out who Costello's rat is. But he lost him in the streets." Expressed by Captain Queenan to Colin Sullivan., Sullivan goes to Queenan, who tells him that his infiltrator chased Costello's mole, but lost it by failing to recognize her. Sullivan is told to investigate SIU policemen to find out the mole, which of course the police don't know is Sullivan himself. Sullivan because of this order loses the sympathy of his colleagues. Sullivan, however, intent on finding the mole in Costello's band, entering social security numbers into the computer file. No number is recognized, and try to insert the name "Costigan, William M", which however does not recognize because it is a file encrypted by Queenan and Dignam. Given that Queenan knows the identity of the infiltrator, and is leaving SIU, she wants Internal Affairs agents to covertly follow Queenan, to see if she heads to Costigan. Queenan is seen with Costigan on the roof of the 344 Wash, but it happens that Costigan is called on the phone by Timothy Delahunt, who tells him to get where Queenan is, details from Frank Costello, informed by Sullivan, that he could tell who the mole is. Costigan and Queenan try to escape, but Queenan remains on the top floor and is thrown out of the window by Costello's men, going against what Sullivan wanted. Costigan comes down just before the body landed on the ground, and a shootout between the cops and the mob happens. The mobsters flee, with Delahunt who has a serious injury that will lead him to death later, but he said he would die to Billy, who despite giving him the wrong address (he had said 314 Wash) he was the right one, noticing Costigan was the mole. However he died before he could say why he didn't say anything to others. Sullivan is attacked by Dignam for chasing Queenan, but intervening, Captain Ellerby, who is now the Dignam chief, resigns him for two weeks. Call to Costigan After Dignam leaves Sullivan goes to his office and calls the last number called by Queenan, which is Billy Costigan's. Colin tells Billy he wants her to reunite with the cops, but he refuses. After examining Queenan's agenda, and reading it, he reads that Costello is an FBI informant. Ambush in Sheffield On the night of July 23, 2007, Costello goes to his warehouse in Sheffield with his men for a drug withdrawal. SIU orders the police to chase Costello's car. Costigan warns Sullivan that Costello is heading to Sheffield, so Sullivan warns the other cops to get to know the infiltrator, and where Costello is going. The state police ambush Costello, which causes a shootout that ends with most of the death of Costello's men, covering his right-hand man Arnold French. Final confrontation with Costello Sullivan confronts Costello after he foiled the drug shipment pickup by Costello. Costello says he only gave up people who were already going down. Sullivan asked him if the FBI knew about his connection to Costello. Costello denied it, saying he would never give him up, because he was like a son to him. Sullivan inquired if that was all it was about, all the murder, sex and "no sons", suggesting Costello was sterile. Enraged, Costello shoots at Sullivan, who fires back and kills him. Back to the SIU and coverage fall When he gets back to the SIU headquarters he is hailed as a hero for killing Costello. But looking though files Costigan learns that Sullivan is a mole. Meanwhile, Costigan gives Madolyn an envelope containing recordings of conversations between Costello and Sullivan. After listening to the recordings Madolyn leaves Colin. Costigan then sends a message to Sullivan to meet him on the roof of the old mill. There he hits and arrests Sullivan but as they go down the elevator the doors open and then Costigan is shot in the head by Barrigan who later shoots Brown, the cop whom Costigan trusted. Sullivan then learns that there is two moles in the police, him and Barrigan. Sullivan then kills Barrigan while he is not looking. Death Sullivan goes home after Costigan's wake but then he is confronted by Dignam, who resigned after the murder of his boss, who while a very unpleasant man, sought to avenge the murders of his boss and Costigan and saw no other way to do it as the jury would always believe Sullivan, a respected police officer, over him, a bad mouth citizen (as he is now resigned). Sullivan, realizing this was the end, simply said "Okay" before Dignam fatally shot him in the head and left. Personality Colin Sullivan is very smart and clever, has long been an informant of Frank Costello, leading a double life as a state police detective, and also secretly a police mole, who worked for the Irish mob. Colin falls in love with the psychiatrist statal Madolyn Madden, with whom he started a relationship, but fails to open up with her internally, due to his need to hide his secret. This caused him problems in his daily life, even making his sexual relationship with Madolyn difficult. Sullivan is a criminal trying to pass for a cop. Colin is a typical Irish guy who doesn't like to talk too much about his feelings. He doesn't like to talk about his past, or where he comes from, from the Southie Irish neighborhood. Colin is ashamed of his past, and does not want his connection with Costello to come to light. Colin likes to dream big, like when he stares at the Massachusetts State House, maybe thinking of risings to high ranks. Even his apartment, which has a view of the State House and its shining dome from the balcony. Reaching his goals, on the other hand as Costello taught him, to take what he wants, and be able to be what he decides. Colin does everything to look tough, and to hide his fears, although he says Madolyn that even if something was terribly wrong with their relationship, she'd rather put her head down and ignore it than do something about it. Colin kills Frank Costello, to prevent his relationship with him from being discovered, since Costello is an FBI informant and when he kills him he takes credit from his colleagues. Billy Costigan attempted to have the police find out that Sullivan was an informer for Costello, who was also indirectly responsible for the death of Captain Queenan (whom Dignam suspected). When Costigan is killed by his friend Barrigan, Barrigan tells him that as he was a Costello informant, but Sullivan shoots him, because he is tired, he doesn't want to deal with this situation anymore, he wants to take off his double face. Despite losing Madolyn, who learned the truth from Costigan, Colin still has an excellent social position. He has his role as a detective in the state police, his apartment, and he is no longer a mole. After Costigan's funeral, he goes home with some groceries, heads for the door of his apartment, but hesitates to open the door, bending his body over the ledge after he puts the keys. It feels like a sigh. When he comes in he finds himself Dignam, who is ready to avenge Costigan and Queenan. Sullivan does not hesitate, does not defend himself after he is pointing his gun. It simply says "Okay". That "Okay" expresses resignation, resignation that is now over for him, as if there were no more lies to take. Trivia *Originally Brad Pitt was cast as Colin Sullivan. *Sullivan is portrayed by award winning American actor Matt Damon, who was born and raised in Cambridge, a bit north of Boston, Massachusetts. *Martin Scorsese wanted Matt Damon to play Sullivan because he had a "cocky attitude, a bravado." *As research for his character's occupation, Matt Damon worked with a Massachusetts State Police unit out of Boston. He accompanied them on routine patrols, participated in a drug raid, and was taught proper police procedures, like how to pat down a suspect. *Colin Sullivan is based on FBI agent John Connolly, who protected and tipped off Boston Irish mobster James "Whitey" Bulger, who is the basis for Frank Costello. *He inspired off of Senior Inspector Lau Kin-Ming from Infernal Affairs (2002). *Both Barrigan and Sullivan are possibly a tribute to "Mafia Cops" Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, two Italian American NYPD officers who worked on behalf of the New York Mafia. *Matt Damon was one of the three Oscar winners, along with Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio. *Leonardo DiCaprio called Billy and Colin "two sides of the same coin". *When young Sullivan is at Mass, a priest is swinging the smoking incense burning. In the next shot the smoke is gone, and he is away, arriving with the burner and repeating the previous movement. *At Sullivan's graduation ceremony, right after they are dismissed, Barrigan congratulates him for being "assigned to plainclothes right out of the gig." When cadets graduate from the Academy, they are still in training until they complete their field training program and their probationary period. The next step is road patrol, with a field training officer assigned to ride with them for several months. Sullivan wouldn't have been on patrol on his own for almost a year. Getting to plainclothes takes many years. *Colin Sullivan's apartment does not exist. The view of the Massachusetts State House was an effects shot from the roof of Suffolk University, which is the law school where Sullivan says he is taking night classes. Cinematographer Michael Ballhaus evaluated the shot during pre-production. *When Colin has dinner with Madolyn, he states "what Freud said about the Irish is we're the only people impervious to psychoanalysis." According to the FAQ section of the Freud Museum in London, Sigmund Freud, "There is no evidence Freud said the quote. The only documentation seems to be Anthony Burgess, in his introduction to a book of Irish short stories: 'One of Freud's followers split up human psychology into two categories, Irish and non-Irish.'" *Sullivan can be closest homosexual, since he fails to sexually satisfy his girlfriend, Madolyn and finds an excuse to not engage in any further acts of sex i.e. when his house phone rings. *Matt Damon decided his character should be impotent to counter Frank's macho personality. *When Colin is instructing the police officers following Queenan from his office, the Walkie talkie radios being used wouldn't transfer at that range (distance). *When Sullivan uses Queenan's phone, the close-up shows the blood transferring from his finger to the left side of the talk button. The wide shot shows the blood on the right side. *Sullivan says that the highest decoration the Massachusetts State Police has is the Medal of Merit. It is actually the George Hanna Award. *On the envelope Madolyn receives, Colin's address is shown as 20 Pickering in Boston. Pickering Ave. is in Roxbury, nowhere near Beacon Hill. The ZIP code shown is 02459, which is Newton Centre. In the DVD version, the ZIP code is 02149, which is Everett. *At the beginning of the film, Frank Costello instructs the store clerk to fill a brown paper bag with various groceries for the kid Colin Sullivan, notably a couple of loaves of bread and a couple of quarts of milk. In the last scene of the film, we see adult Colin Sullivan walking into his apartment with a paper bag full of groceries, two of the items you can see in the bag during this scene are a couple of loaves of bread and a couple of quarts of milk. See also *''The Departed'' *Billy Costigan *Frank Costello *Madolyn Madden References Category:Characters Category:Deceased Category:Cops Category:Costello's gang Category:Dirty cops Category:Murderers Category:Criminals Category:Villains